Toilets are typically fitted with a toilet seat and a toilet lid which are hinged to the rear rim of a toilet bowl. Typically, users are required to raise and lower toilet seats and toilet lids manually, by grasping the toilet seat or lid with their hand and applying an upward or downward force to cause them the toilet seat or lid to pivot about the hinge axis.
Generally, female users utilize a toilet with the toilet seat in a lower position, in order to sit on the toilet seat. Male users, instead, normally utilize the toilet with the toilet seat in either the lower position or the raised position, in dependence of their physiological needs. Of course, users in general, regardless of their gender, may wish to lower or raise the toilet seat for any applicable reason, such as for cleaning the toilet.
Toilet lids and, especially, toilet seats may often become unclean with use. Because of this, users may not want to touch the toilet lid or toilet seat with their own hands. In the particular case in which a male user does not wish to manually raise a lowered toilet seat, the male user may end up urinating from a standing position with the toilet seat in the lowered position, very likely splashing the upper surface of the toilet seat. This may annoy other users of the toilet, and particularly female users who wish to sit on the toilet seat.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a toilet seat and lid assembly having a toilet seat which can be automatically lifted without a user's having to touch the toilet seat with his or her hands.